Baseboard-type heating unit



All@ 2, 1966 F. w. Ecl-:CHER ETAL 3,263,746

BASEBOARD-TYPE HEATING UNIT Filed March 10, 1964 F/GZ I N VEN TOR.

19?' l" ORNE VS United States Patent O 3,263,746 BASEBOARD-TYPE HEATING UNIT Frederick W. Becher, Wethersfield, and Leon N. King,

Thompsonville, Conn., assignors to Radiant Baseboard Panels, Inc., Newington, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Mar. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 350,860 6 Claims. (Cl. 165-55) This invention relates to an improved heating unit and, more particularly, to an improved finned tube type baseboard heating unit.

Baseboard heating units of this type generally comprise a back panel that is adapted to be fastened to the Wall, generally the exterior wall, of the room to be heated, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart hanger brackets are mounted on the panel and project into the room therefrom to support a front baseboard panel, a damper, and the elongated finned tube heating element.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide a baseboard heating unit of the aforementioned type which will produce a lower temperature for the back panel and thus reduce heat loss through the outside or exterior wall of the room and which will reduce the expansion of the back panel so as to diminish the noise accompanying such expansion and to diminish the possibility of the back panel fasteners being loosened as a result of such expansion. Still in keeping with the general object of the invention, the heating unit provided will have a more rigid finned tube heating element that will permit the use of thinner gauge sheet metal for the fins so as to provide for more rapid heating of the fins to their rated capacity. Further, the heating unit provided in accordance with this invention will be better able to withstand damage from handling and installation than the more conventional units, and the finned tube element will be less apt to cause injury to installers and others handling the unit. Additionally, the heating unit provided in accordance with the present invention will reduce the tendency of dirt to collect adjacent the unit on the wall to which it is secured.

The drawing shows a preferred embodiment of the invention and such embodiment will be described, but it will be understood that various changes may be made from the construction disclosed, and that the drawing and description are not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

Of the drawing:

FIG. l is a vertical cross-sectional View taken through a heating unit provided in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a portion of the heating unit with parts thereof being shown in section as indicated by the line 2-2 of FIG. l; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken at one corner of a fin on the finned tube element.

As shown in FIG. 1, the heating unit of the present invention is of the baseboard type and includes an elongated rear panel which is adapted to be secured to the wall W of a room adjacent the floor F thereof. The back panel 10 is elongated to extend along the wall, and said panel is bent as indicated at 12 near its top longitudinal edge to direct convection air currents rising along the panel inwardly toward the interior of the room.

In the installation of a heating unit, a plurality of hanger brackets, such as the bracket 14, are secured in longitudinally spaced apart relationship to the back panel 10. A bracket 14 of the type that can be used is generally L-shaped and has its longer leg secured to the ice panel 10 with its shorter leg 16 projecting generally horizontally forwardly therefrom to support a finned tube heating element 18. Preferably, the bracket also includes and integrally formed plate 20 which projects forwardly from the upper end portion of the bracket and which is provided with a notch 22 in its front edge to provide support for a horizontally disposed return tube 24. The plate 20 is also provided with a snap-in notch 26 to pivotally support a damper 28, and the said plate is provided with a hooked portion 30 to receive the inturned upper longitudinal edge portion of a front panel 32 which can be snapped into place by engaging the inturned bottom edge portion thereof under the horizontal arm or leg 16 of the bracket 14. Thus, the bracket 14 provides support for a return tube 24, a damper 28 and a front panel 32 as well as the finned tube heating element 18. It will be noted that the damper 28 is disposed to control or modify the tiow of convection currents rising from the heating element 18 and passing through the space between the top edge of the front panel 32 and the inwardly bent portion 12 of the back panel 10.

What has been thus far described is conventional, and it will be understood that many other specific forms of back panels and hanger brackets can be used to support a finned tube heat exchanger that extends longitudinally and which is supported by such brackets.

In accordance with the present invention, the finned tube heating element 18 comprises an elongated metal tube 34 having a plurality of substantially rectangular fins 36 radiating therefrom. The fins are constructed with reinforcing ribs 38, 38, and the fins are arranged along the tube in regularly spaced relationship to each other. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the top and bottom edges 40 and 42 of each fin are provided with a pair of notches. That is, there is a notch 44 cut into each of the iin edges 40 and 42 adjacent to but nonetheless spaced from each side edge thereof.

In further accord with the present invention, an elongated substantially rectangular baffles 46 is secured in the notches 44, 44 of the fins 36, 36 at the back thereof, and a similar bafiie 48 is secured in the notches 44, 44 at the front of the tins. As will be seen in FIG. 3, each baf'lie has an inturned longitudinal edge 50 adapted to be engaged in the notches 44, 44 of the longitudinal series of fins at the top thereof and a similarly inturned longitudinal edge is adapted to engage in the notches at the bottom thereof. Thus, the battle 46 extends along and covers the back edges of the fins 36, 36, and the bafiie 48 extends along and covers the front edges of the said fins.

In order to facilitate assembly of the baffles on the fins, each corner of each fin 36 is cut back as indicated at 52 in FIG. 3 and is then rounded as shown at 54. The cut back and rounded corners of the fins permit assembly of the associated baffles by snapping them into place. When snapped into place, the front and rear bafiies extend around the fin corners and extend partially over the top and bottom edges of the fins. A bead 56 is formed to extend longitudinally along each baffle at the top and bottom thereof adjacent the inturned longitudinal edges of each balie. The beads 56, 56 provide bearing support for the finned tube heating element in that the beads rest upon the horizontally extending legs 16, 16 of the various brackets 14, 14.

Obviously, the bafes 46 and 48 can be made of metal or plastic. Either material used in the construction of the back baflie 46 will reduce the heating of the back panel 10 by convection and this, obviously, will reduce the heat loss through the wall W. Reducing the temperature of the back panel 10 has the additional advantage in that its expansion and contraction with temperature change will be reduced to a minimum so as to diminish the noise caused thereby and to reduce the possibility of loosening the fasteners which secure the back panel to the wall.

Further, whether made of metal or plastic, the baflles 46 and 48 will provide greater rigidity for the heating element 18 so that the fins 36, 36 of said element can be made in lighter gauge metal than is usually the case. The thinner gauge metal will Iheat up more rapidly to the rated capacity so as to provide quicker heating response for the element 18.

Obviously, with the provision of the back baille 46, the air adjacent the wall W and the back panel 10 will be cooler than is ordinarily the case. This cooler air will have greater density and will rise with less velocity than the main column of heated air over the heating unit 18. Since the cooler air adjacent the wall rises with less velocity than in conventional constructions, it will carry less dust lwith it in suspension, and this means that less dust will settle on the wall W to cause undesirable streaking thereof.

Another obvious advantage of the aforedescribed construction is that when the bailles 46 `and 48 are provided in either metal or plastic, the iins 36, 36 of the unit 18 are protected from damage, and those who handle the heating elements or install them are protected from injury by being cut with the sharp edges f the llns.

A further important consideration is that the front baille 48 protects the front -panel 32 in that the temperature thereof is reduced. This permits a higher heating unit temperature without Ioverheating the front panel.

The invention claimed is:

1. A baseboard ty-pe heating unit comprising an elongated back panel adapted to be mounted on a wall, a plurality of hanger brackets secured to said back panel in longitudinally spaced apart relationship and having support portions projecting forwardly therefrom, la heating element including an elongated metal tube having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart rectangular metal fins radiating therefrom, the said element being provided to extend between the hanger brackets and to rest on the support portions thereof, and each of the fins of the heating element being provided with a pair of notches in its bottom edge and a pair in its top edge, as viewed with the element supported on the brackets, with each such notch adjacent to but nonetheless spaced from a side edge, and a pair of batlles of generally elongated rectangular shape having inturned longitudinal edges engaged in the notches on said iins whereby one such baille is snapped into place at the front and another at the rear of the heating element to cover respectively the front and rear edges of the ns and the corners thereof, each said baille having a longitudinally extending bead adjacent to each longitudinal edge thereof to provide bearing support for the heating element on the hanger brackets.

2. A baseboard type heating unit comprising an elongated back panel adapted to be mounted on a wall, a plurality of hanger brackets secured to said back panel in longitudinally spaced apart relationship and having support portions projecting forwardly therefrom, a heating element including an elongated metal tube having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart rectangular metal ns radiating therefrom, the said element being provided to extend between the hanger brackets and to rest on the support portions thereof, and each of the tins of the heating element being provided with a pair of notches in its bottom edge and a pair in its top edge, as viewed with the elements supported on the brackets, with each such notch adjacentto but nonetheless spaced from a side edge, and a pair of bailles of generally elongated rectangular shape having inturned longitudinal edges engaged in the notches -on said fins whereby one such baille is snapped into place at the front and another in the rear of the heating element to CQVQI respectively the front and rear edges of the tins and the corners thereof, each said baille having -a longitudinally extending bead adjacent to each longitudinal edge thereof to provide bearing support for the heating element on the hanger brackets, and wherein the corners of each n are cut back and rounded to facilitate the assembly of the baflles thereon.

3. A baseboard type heating element adapted to be supported by resti-ng on longitudinally spaced apart sup- -port members and comprising an elongated metal tube having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart rectangular tins radiating therefrom, each of the iins having a pair of notches in its top edge and in its bottom edge, as viewed when resting on the support members, with each such -notch adjacent to but nonetheless spaced from a side edge of the lin, and a pair of bailles of generally elongated rectangular shape having inturned longitudinal edges engaged in the notches on said ns whereby one such baille is snapped into place at the front and another at the rear of the heating element to cover respectively the front and rear edges of the fins and the corners thereof, each said baille having a longitudinally extending bead adjacent to each longitudinal edge thereof to provide bearing support for the heating element on the support members. y

4. A baseboard type heating unit comprising an elongated back panel adapted to be mounted on a wall, a plurality of hanger brackets secured to said back panel in longitudinally spaced apart relationship and having support portions projecting forwardly therefrom, a heating element including an elongated metal tube having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart rectangular metal fins radiating therefrom, said element being provided to extend between the hanger brackets and to rest on the support portions thereof, and each of the fins of the heating element being provided with an upper edge and a bottom edge, and a pair of baflles of generally elongated rectangular shape having inturned longitudinal edges engaging said upper and bottom edges of said fins, attaching means associated with said ns and said baffles whereby one such baille is secured into place at the front and another at the rear of the heating element to cover respectively the front and rear edges of the tins and the corners thereof, each said baflle Ihaving a longitudinally extending bead adjacent to each longitudinal edge thereof to provide bearing support for the heating element on the hanger brackets.

5. A baseboard type heating element adapted to be supported by resting on longitudinally spaced apart support members and comprising an elongated metal tube having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart rectangular fins radiating therefrom, and each of the llns of the heating element being provided with an upper edge and a, bottom edge, and a pair of balles of generally elongated rect-angular shape having inturned longitudinal edges engaging said upper and bottom edges of said ns, attaching means associated with said tins and said bafes whereby one such baille is secured into place at the front and another at the rear of the heating element to cover respectively the front and rear edges of the ns and the corners there.- of, each said baille having a longitudinally extending bead adjacent to each longitudinal edge thereof to provide bearing support for the heating element on the support members.

6. A heating element as set forth in claim 3 wherein the corners of each iin are cut back and rounded to facilitate the Vassembly of the bailles to the element.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,200,527 5/1940 Y'Oung 165-134 2,932,489 4/1960 Young 165-182 2,963,276 12/1960 Nelson 165-55 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES SUKALO, Examiner. 

1. A BASEBOARD TYPE HEATING UNIT COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BACK PANEL ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON A WALL, A PLURALITY OF HANGER BRACKETS SECURED TO SAID BACK PANEL IN LONGITUDINALLY SPACED APART RELATIONSHIP AND HAVING SUPPORT PORTIONS PROJECTING FORWARDLY THEREFROM, A HEATING ELEMENT INCLUDING AN ELONGATED METAL TUBE HAVING A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED APART RECTANGULAR METAL FINS RADIATING THEREFROM, THE SAID ELEMENT BEING PROVIDED TO EXTEND BETWEEN THE HANGER BRACKETS AND TO REST ON THE SUPPORT PORTIONS THEREOF, AND EACH OF THE FINS OF THE HEATING ELEMENT BEING PROVIDED WITH A PAIR OF NOTCHES IN ITS BOTTOM EDGE AND A PAIR IN ITS TOP EDGE, AS VIEWED WITH THE ELEMENT SUPPORTED ON THE BRACKETS, WITH EACH SUCH NOTCH ADJACENT TO BUT NONETHELESS SPACED FROM A SIDE EDGE, AND A PAIR OF BAFFLES OF GENERALLY ELONGATED RECTANGULAR SHAPE HAVING INTURNED LONGITUDINAL EDGES EN GAGED IN THE NOTCHES ON SAID FINS WHEREBY ONE SUCH BAFFLE IS SNAPPED INTO PLACE AT THE FRONT AND ANOTHER AT THE REAR OF THE HEATING ELEMENT TO COVER RESPECTIVELY THE FRONT AND REAR EDGES OF THE FINS AND THE CORNERS THEREOF, EACH SAID BAFFLE HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING BEAD ADJACENT TO EACH LONGITUDINAL EDGE THEREOF TO PROVIDE BEARING SUPPORT FOR THE HEATING ELEMENT ON THE HANGER BRACKETS. 